Student Association For International Affairs

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday responded to a commentary by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s KCNA News Agency, criticizing China’s stance on the DPRK nuclear issue.

For many years, China has been upholding an objective and fair position, judging and dealing with the issue based on the rights and wrongs of the case, said Geng Shuang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

«China stands firm in realizing denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability, and pushing forward for more dialogue and negotiations to resolve the issue. China hopes that all parties involved could shoulder their responsibilities and play their due roles for the peace and stability of the peninsula, as well as the well-being of the people in the region,» Geng added.

A commentary released on Wednesday by KCNA, the DPRK’s state media, accused China by name, saying it has sided with the United States to exert more pressure on Pyongyang.

In a rare critique of Beijing, it said that China should «no longer try to test the limits» of the DPRK’s «patience but make a proper strategic option.»

In February, China announced the suspension of all coal imports from the country until the end of this year, based on UN sanctions imposed on the DPRK for conducting nuclear and missile tests.